Car Accident Attorney in Myrtle Beach

Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of personal injuries, damaged property, and deaths. If you have been involved in a traffic collision, it is understandable that you may feel confused and overwhelmed.

Most car accident victims are unsure about what steps to take following a collision. Taking the right actions following a crash can help to ensure that you recover the compensation you are rightfully owed.

Following a Myrtle Beach car accident, consider the following:

Check for Injuries

The most important factor after a crash is the health and safety of those involved. Make sure to check yourself and others for physical damage or injuries.

If anyone is severely injured, leave them where they are and do your best to keep them safe until medical professionals arrive. Call 911 to request medical responders if anyone is injured.

Contact Law Enforcement

It is also critical to report your accident to local law enforcement. When a responding officer arrives, they will draft an accident report. This document will contain information, such as the following:

• Location and time of the accident
• Weather conditions
• Driver contact information
• Nature of the accident
• And more

This report will serve as powerful evidence in any resulting legal claim. It is helpful to have a third-personal account of the collision. Also, some insurance companies will not provide claimants with compensation without a police accident report.

Trade Information With Other Drivers

While you are waiting for the police to arrive at the scene, trade contact information with the other motorists involved in the crash. This information will be useful when filing a legal claim.

Make sure to get the following contact information from the other drivers:

• Name
• Phone number
• Make and model of vehicle
• License plate number
• VIN number
• Insurance information
• Email address

You can also take photos of the other drivers’ insurance cards to gather their information quickly. 

Keep Conversation to a Minimum

While it is critical to collect contact information, you should try to avoid having additional conversations at the scene. Specifically, you should avoid discussing legal liability or fault.

You should never say anything that might suggest you are responsible for the accident. Even if you think you caused the crash, you could be mistaken. Speak with seasoned car accident lawyers in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to determine liability in your case.

Collect Relevant Evidence

The sooner you can gather evidence for your car accident, the better. As time passes, victims have more difficulty remembering the details of their crashes.

It is a good idea to take videos and photos with your smartphone while you are at the scene of the crash. Collect the following evidence, if possible:

• Photos of the resulting injuries
• Photos of vehicular damage
• Drivers’ license plate numbers
• Images of the site of the crash
• Personal notes recording your experience
• Photos of nearby traffic signs and signals
• And more

Knowledgeable car accident lawyers in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will use these pieces of evidence to build a powerful case for you. Ample evidence can help show that your car accident resulted from another motorist’s negligent behavior.

Seek a Medical Exam

If you were not taken to the hospital from the scene of the crash, you should still seek a medical assessment. Even if you believe that you are unharmed, visit a medical care provider.

Some of the most common car accident injuries do not present symptoms immediately. A physician will provide you with an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an appropriate course of treatment.

You do not want to naively accept a lowball settlement offer only to learn later that you were unknowingly injured. Never accept an injury settlement without speaking to car accident lawyers in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Keep Notes

It is vital to keep extensive notes about your own experience during and after the crash. These notes can serve as evidence to bolster your case if you file a lawsuit.

The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan will use these personal notes to build a strong claim on your behalf and recover the money you deserve.

Speak With Car Accident Lawyers in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

One of the most important steps after a collision is securing reliable legal representation. An accomplished motor vehicle collision attorney will walk you through the entire legal claims process.

When victims attempt to represent themselves, they often recover less than the full value of their claim. The skilled team at Morgan & Morgan will oversee the following critical elements of your car accident case:

• Drafting and submitting required legal paperwork and documentation
• Speaking with eyewitnesses to the collision
• Reviewing relevant laws and statutes
• Obtaining medical records and police accident reports
• Negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf
• Consulting with experts and specialists
• Filing a lawsuit for you if negotiations fail
• And more

Having a skilled litigator working on your behalf allows you to focus on your own health and well-being. You should not have to manage the logistics and intricacies of a legal claim while recovering from a car accident.

The financial payments that at-fault motorists are legally required to provide to their victims are known as “damages.” The kinds of damages that car accident victims can claim will depend on the nature and severity of the crash.

If you were injured in your Myrtle Beach collision, you could pursue recovery for the resulting losses. The two main categories of payments in most traffic collision claims are “special” and “general” damages.

Special Damages

This category of financial recovery is intended to make up for the victim’s monetary expenses. Following a car accident, victims typically experience skyrocketing financial costs. 

Some of the most common examples of special damages include repayment for:

• Current and past medical expenses
• Expected costs for future medical care
• Long-term loss of earning capacity
• Foregone income and wages from missed workdays
• Vehicle repair or replacement
• In-home care, if needed
• And more

Car accident lawyers in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will use invoices, bills, receipts, and other financial documents to determine appropriate special damages in your case. Most accident victims underestimate the monetary losses that result from their collision.

General Damages

Some of the most challenging outcomes from an accident or injury do not involve financial expenses. When you have been injured, you may be unable to continue your typical pattern of life.

The emotional and personal damages that occur can be devastating. General damages are intended to compensate victims for this type of harm.

Some of the most common examples of general damages in these claims include payments for:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Mental distress and emotional anguish
• Anxiety and stress
• Depression
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Decreases in quality of life
• And more

It is very difficult to accurately determine general damages following a car accident. Because of this, greedy insurance companies sometimes attempt to devalue these losses.

A knowledgeable attorney will fight for maximum general damages in your Myrtle Beach legal claim.

Punitive Damages

General and special damages are recoverable in standard injury lawsuits. In rare cases, victims may be awarded punitive damages by a judge or jury.

These payments are intended to punish the party who caused the damage. Punitive damages are only provided in cases of gross negligence or recklessness.

Like all reputable tort law firms, the legal team at Morgan and Morgan functions based on a contingency fee approach. This payment method ensures that all victims can pursue justice in their car accident claims.

A contingency fee approach means that clients pay no upfront fees. When you hire one of our Myrtle Beach attorneys, we will agree to a percentage of the financial recovery from your collision claim.

When our legal experts recover the financial compensation you are owed, that percentage will cover attorneys’ fees. Our lawyers do not get paid unless you get the money that you need.

A “statute of limitations” is a legally-enforced time limit on filing certain types of lawsuits. When a claimant files suit after the time limit has expired, their case is often dismissed. 

Statutes of limitations on car accident cases are decided at the level of state laws. In the state of South Carolina, car crash victims are required to file a legal claim within three years of the incident.

Contact a legal professional to ensure you meet all of the deadlines in your injury or accident case. 

Contact our firm if you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Myrtle Beach. Our seasoned tort lawyers have the ability and knowledge to represent you successfully.

You will pay nothing unless our team of experts recovers the compensation that you rightfully deserve. To schedule a no-cost legal case evaluation with one of our Myrtle Beach attorneys, complete the online contact form on the Morgan & Morgan website today.